I have to admit that I feel really guilty. Why? Well, I love traveling. I love exploring different countries, learning about new cultures, and just taking everything in. Before I turned 25, I had traveled to eleven countries, twenty U.S. states, and only four Canadian provinces.

Yes, only four. Don't get me wrong. I love my country. I guess I've always just taken for granted that it's here for us to explore. When I was younger, I didn't want to go sightseeing in my own "backyard". Now, it seems so appealing. I want to show my daughter just how amazing our country is. I want her to see, feel, and breathe what it is to be Canadian. There are so many stunning spots to visit in Canada. It's now my dream to go coast to coast and see the country I was born and raised in.

If someone gave you $10,000 for your Canadian Dream Vacation, where would you go?

Where would I go? I've been to Quebec and Ontario (those don't count, because I have lived in both provinces). I've also been to New Brunswick and British Columbia. I had a layover in Calgary once, but that doesn't count because I never left the airport!

Like I said, I would go coast to coast and try to see as much of the country as I could. Big on my list are Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Alberta.


There are also eight weekly secondary draws for $500 gift cards to be won! Even if you win one of the weekly draws, you're still eligible to win the $10,000 Grand Prize. You know how some contests are closed to residents of Quebec? Not this one! That's right! Salut, mes amis Quebecois! This contest IS OPEN to all Provinces!! :)

An added bonus? You will get great offers just for entering!

All you have to do is fill out the form on their DREAM BIG CANADA site. After you've entered, you can  share it with your family and friends. By sharing the contest, you can earn multiple entries that will increase your odds of winning.

Contest is going on now and ends December 11, 2011.

In case you are unfamiliar with CentrSource, here is some information about them:

CentrSource brings customers and Sellers together in one convenient online community. What makes CentrSource different from other sites is that CentrSource helps you find products and services in specific areas. Your area! Simply go to centrsource.ca, type in what you’re searching for and enter your postal code. There you go! It’s that easy. No more sifting through thousands and thousands of links that are not suitable or in your search or neighbourhood. This is easy...and fast! Find what you want and what you need - in an instant!

"Earn rewards when you browse

The best part about shopping on CentrSource is our Sellers want to reward you with SourcePoint$ when you request product samples, download a discount coupon, try a new product or whatever else a Seller has to share. Collect your points so you can cash them in on great products at the SourcePoint$ Store. If you find a Seller you really like, simply click 'Follow Seller' and you'll be informed of all of their great Offers - now and in the future. You won't ever miss out on a great opportunity again." {from the CentrSource site}

  DREAM BIG CANADA CONTEST:

• Contest runs October 11, 2011 – December 11, 2011
• Grand Prize $10,000 Canada Vacation Voucher
• 8 weekly secondary prizes of $500 gift cards to be won
• Travel Voucher must be redeemed between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012
• Open to all of Canada including Quebec {age of majority}
• Read the rules & regulations

*DISCLAIMER: For helping promote this campaign, I am being compensated for posting.

Part One of my ShesConnected wrap up was all about what I learned at the conference. This post is a fun one. It's got pictures!

The past week was a week of firsts for me. It was my first social media conference, the first time I have been away from my toddler overnight (and for a few days!), the first time I roomed with someone I had never met in person before, and my first time back in my city of birth since...well, maybe since June for my daughter's Mount Sinai Hospital Preemie/NICU Graduates Picnic.
 It was so hard to say goodbye to Little One. There were lots of tears. Ummm...strictly on my behalf though. To be honest, she didn't really care that I was gone. All she knew was that she was having a blast at Lola and Grampy's house.

I called every night and Little One's last conversation with me went something along the lines of, "Mama, please don't call me anymore. I'm busy. I'm washing dishes."

I bawled my eyes out. She's Two-Teen going on eighteen.
Oh! It was also the first time I saw my brother and his girlfriend in months! They're a busy young Toronto couple. We live on Manitoulin Island. You do the math.
 The Fashion District. Oh, how I've missed Toronto! I love posting random pics. Giant thimble, anyone?
It's been far too long since I have taken a walk on Spadina. I miss Chinatown! Scored some inexpensive comfy shoes. My pretty shoes for the conference landed me with band-aids on my toes within the first hour of me wearing them.

Also my first time having Chinese Dim Sum in a long time!  I love you, Northern Ontario, but you seriously do not know what real Chinese food is! Sooooo delicious! Don't know what Dim Sum is? Click here to find out.
 On our way back to my brother and his girlfriend's condo, we stopped at Cool Hand Luc's for some ice cream. You know, because we didn't already stuff ourselves at Dim Sum only moments earlier!

Aren't you diggin' that barfing ice cream guy? Too funny! Almost tempted to paint this scene on Little One's bedroom walls!
Raspberry Thunder or Tornado (I can't remember the name) and Birthday Cake ice cream. Deeeeelish.





Whew! Thank you for patiently waiting for me to get to the conference part. That's what you were waiting for, right?
You know which one I chose right? Ummm hmmm! The Hedgehog! As my toddler would say, "Awwwww! It's toe tute!" Translation: "It's so cute!" Didn't stop us from devouring (I mean "sampling") it!
 Lots and lots of amazing sponsors (and lots of swag).
FordCanada
ToshibaCanada
MapleLeafFoods
JanesFamilyFd
Christine Cushing
Purdy'sChocolate
MolsonCanadian67
AdultEssentials
Sobeys
Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA)
Life Choices Food
PepsiCanada
ConAgraFoods
Royal Canadian Mint
and more!

Do you see who I'm with in this next photo?!?! No, you do not know how excited I was! It's Christine Cushing! Yes, the Christine Cushing! Celebrity Chef Christine Cushing! You know who I'm talking about! I've been a fan of hers for years! My grandfather (may he rest in peace) was the one who got me into her cooking show back in the day. Now my toddler loves her. LOVES her!

 Christine Cushing was so friendly and personable. You know I was totally letting out a loud teenage girl  #SQUEEEE in my head, right? She gave us a copy of her cookbook and a bottle of organic extra virgin olive oil. She signed Little One's cookbook too. Thank you so much, Christine!
 AaricaMakeUpBlog and I had to go to our room and deposit our swag. It felt like we were carrying 100 lbs of product. Oh, okay. I won't lie. I also needed to change my shoes. Ouch!

 Back for some networking and meeting with the brands. Honey, my birthday is coming up. Toshiba Tablet? Just sayin'.
 I'm such a weiner!



This is me with my gal, GGirlGGreen. Isn't she absolutely gorgeous?! Her personality is just as beautiful. Love this Tweep!
 Goofing around for our "red carpet" pics. Yes, I normally wear pink feather boas for pics. Isn't JustNikiV hilarious? Love her!
 Also in red carpet photos are Whispered Inspirations (Ha! Nancy and I were THE shortest tweeps at #SCCTO! No, seriously! We were!) and Aarica Make-Up Blog (my roomie for the conference)!
 I have to say that #shoesconnected sure knows how to throw a party! Check out how packed it was in there! Two floors packed with people! Scrumptious hors d'hoevres and great wine! Thank you STLTO for the delicious wine.
 Did I mention that the #shoesconnected after party was held at Town Shoes? Food, wine, friends, SHOES!!! Can't get any better than that! Oh, look! There's Gingermommy! Love her!

 It was so hot in there with all those happy tweeps, that we had to grab some fresh air. Okay, I joked about how I thought I was having hot flashes. I was hot!

Look! Bewildered Bug, Whispered Inspirations, Aarica Make-Up Blog, and I are all wearing PURPLE! We're the Purdy's Chocolate mascots! ;)

After the after party, we decided to head to Earl's for a bite to eat and a little more to drink. Upper Canada Soap, Etobicoke Moms, Little Ms. Save, Aarica, Sweet Mama Brady, MadeByHandShow, GGirlGGreen and I had a great time. We got back to the Sheraton in one piece, although we were almost down a tweep! Toronto taxi drivers are crazy. #chickenwing incident! That's all I am allowed to say or SweetMamaBrady might kill me.
 Early the next morning, we made our way back to the conference room to learn and acquire some "nuggets", if you will. No, not chicken nuggets! There was chicken there! Hi, JanesFood and Dana McCauley! Hi, Chicken Farmers!
 After the conference, I had to buy a new suitcase to lug all my swag home. This being my first social media/blogging conference, I didn't expect that much swag. I only brought one carry-on for my four days away from home. I figured I'd bring back one extra bag with all the swag, but it turns out I needed an extra suitcase!!!


 Oy! How was I going to get ALL that on a plane? Yes, that is a thong you see in this pic! Thanks, divine.ca!
 Etobicoke Moms branded me in the ladies' room. Cute tattoo, yes?
 Last night in Toronto. Still on a high from the amazing She's Connected Conference. Sharing wine and tortellini with my girls, BewilderedBug, SweetMamaBrady, and AaricaMakeUpBlog at Trattoria Mercatto.
 Remarks from the busy two days at #SCCTO:
I learned so much about brands, relationships with brands, what they expect/want from bloggers.

Donna Marie Antoniadis is my idol. I really admire her. Oh, and when she gave me a huge hug and said, "You are so sweet", I was worried she would pinch my cheeks! She didn't.

Listen2Lena is as gorgeous in person as she is online and she's got a fabulous personality! She is so amazing!

SassyModernMom is stunning and sweet. I love her!

Mom vs. the Boys is exactly as sweet and wonderful in person as she is online.

Highlight of Day 2 was bumping into Julie Cole and her having breakfast with us and sitting at our table for key note speech and panel. I love Julie. She is one of the funniest women I've ever met! My husband was even shocked that the Mabel's Labels maven sat at our table.

Just discovered that Dana McCauley, the Canadian chef, food writer, food trend tracker, culinary director for Janes Family Food and I share a Manitoulin Island connection...and it's even closer than I'd imagined! How crazy is that? First, my serendipitous meetings with BewilderedBug and AskMamaMOE and discovering how our paths are connected, and now Dana McCauley?! Surreal!

Deborah Lowther is stunning, radiant, vibrant. Those vitamins are amazing! I'll have whatever she's  having! ;)


PTPA Sharon has great style and great hair!

tjzmommy just wows me all the time. I am in awe of her. Check out what you can do for Zack's Dream Room.

Next day: Plane ride home. Back to reality. Thank goodness for swag. This got me by until I could get to real food. The Sudbury airport has nothing near it!
 Finally home to see my sweet little toddler and my husband (who was also away from our poor toddler! Daddy was on the www.wildERmed.org course over the weekend).
 "Christine Cushing signed this for me?!?!" She was so excited!
 Life Choices mac and cheese. "Can we make this now, Mama?"

 IronKids Gummies! She loves them!

As a Mom, I am very mindful of what my child is exposed to. Whether it's the chemicals in produce, the unnatural ingredients in processed foods, harmful UV rays, or even shows on TV, I try to keep her health and well being in mind and offer her body and mind as much wholesome food as I can.  Some may balk at me being a bit fussy about what my child eats. I get the "No sugar? No junk food at all? Oh, Mom. You are so mean!" (actually, "mean" is one of the kinder adjectives used!). I also get the "Aren't you being a little bit overly cautious about the UV rays?" when I cover my toddler up with a wide brimmed hat and a full cover swimsuit!  Some may also think I'm a bit "weird" for not wanting my two year old to watch too much TV.

I want my daughter to enjoy the world around her and appreciate the environment which she lives in. She appreciates the lakes and forests that surround us on the beautiful island we live on. She also loves the animals (on our farm and in the wild) that she sees each day.
Yes, as a parent, there are so many things we need to consider when it comes to what we expose our children to. When I was told about a fabulous kids' show called Planet Echo, I just had to check it out!
The show is fantastic for kids of all ages (including moms who care about our planet)! In brief, Planet Echo follows the wild and wacky adventures of two brothers - Chuck and Andy.  The characters make the show interesting with their fun personalities, but viewers are conscious of the environmental theme to the show too. Another thing I was highly impressed with was the Canadian history and culture present in Planet Echo. With Chuck and Andy's background being French Canadian/Aboriginal, there is a lot of interesting information for young viewers to learn.

Not only is Planet Echo a fun show, but it is a wonderful teaching tool as well. What better way to teach our children about our country and our planet than by engaging in some fun and informative lessons with them? Even my toddler was interested in learning how to make dirty water clean...and she's only two years old!!!

myplanetecho.com is a great website with plenty of  games and fun for kids (especially great for kids between the ages of 7 and 12, but even my 2 year old loves the videos and games when she watches with me). Of course, my husband loves the show too! All the facts and trivia are right up his alley!


Now that I've been introduced to Planet Echo, I think I'll be using the show for my ESL students too! It's a fantastic tool for students whose first language is not English. It helps improve their listening skills, vocabulary acquisition, and it gives them a healthy dose of Canadian culture and history at the same time! I am so excited that I've been introduced to Planet Echo! (Thanks, Mama Crumb!)

I hope you get a chance to check out this brilliant kids' show on APTN! If you do check out, let me know what you think! :)

* Disclaimer - For blogging about/reviewing Planet Echo, I received a $25 gift card for www.fenigo.com, a wonderful "green" Canadian mom-run company. All the opinions on this blog are my own.

I remember when Little One started eating solid food. I waited months to start her on solids. I didn't want to start her too early. She was a preemie, and I wasn't sure how developed her digestive system was and just didn't want to rush her. I also think that secretly, if she started on solids that would confirm that she was no longer dependent on me for nourishment. I know. Stupid.

There was no stopping our little preemie though. She wanted to eat! She did the whole baby cereal thing. We did the rice, oats, barley cereals and then she graduated to fruits and veggies. She loved everything. She loved her meat purees too!

On a trip to visit family in Montreal, a friend of mine gave Little One a few Cheerios. My friend has a daughter Little One's age and she was already eating finger foods. I didn't know how Little One would fare, as she had never been introduced to finger food.

Also, because she was a preemie, I was always told that preemies have a tendency to be delayed developmentally. I was told that Little One's fine and gross motor skills would not be the same as that of other babies her age.

"She's going to choke! She's got no teeth!!!", I exclaimed.

"Chris, don't worry! The Cheerios will dissolve in her mouth. They'll get soft when she puts them in her mouth. She won't choke", my friend assured me.

I winced and hesitated. "Oh, I guess you're right".

To my surprise, Little One was able to pick up those tiny Cheerios and put them in her mouth! It was that moment that I just knew our little preemie was fine and not behind developmentally. Thanks to Cheerios! Cheerios were Little One's very first finger foods.


The good people at Cheerios have come up with yet another fabulous opportunity for parents and kids. They are offering parents a chance to win some pretty nifty prizes. Enter the Cheerios Milestones contest and you can WIN $10,000 towards an RESP from TD Canada Trust! Not only that, but your child can also be featured on a special edition Cheerios Box! Visit the Cheerios website and see how easy it is to enter!
Twenty finalists will be chosen to be on a special edition Cheerios Box and win Cheerios for a year! All you have to do is upload a photo of your favourite moment. Contest closes on December 15, 2010.

Think that's great? Well, MomCentral Canada and Cheerios have yet another cool contest for you! They have given me the chance to offer a wonderful giveaway to my readers. One of you will win a Cheerios play book! The Cheerios play book is perfect for learning and for fun! I know, since Little One was given a Cheerios play book from my friend last Christmas! She LOVES it!

To enter, leave a comment sharing a story about one of your child’s milestones.

The Cheerios play book contest is open from October 5th to the 29th.

Disclosure - I am participating in the Cheerios Milestones program by Mom Central on behalf of General Mills. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.